Who gains if Punjab loses?
by Hari Jaisingh

The deepening crisis in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is part of its often-invisible-but-now-visible competitive politics revolving around known personalities and their factions. It is not prompted by any hard logic. Nor is there any play of ideology. However, since religion and politics go together in Punjab, the net effect of uncontrolled factionalism may not be palatable. Herein lies the warning signal, howsoever feeble. It was the unhealthy competitive politics of the eighties and the early nineties which created a traumatic situation in Punjab. The people have not yet forgotten the Bhindranwale phenomenon which disturbed the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity and reversed the process of development in the state. As a consequence, Punjab had to pay a heavy price. Indeed, when individual ambitions take charge of politics, logic invariably takes a back seat. Both SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra and SAD President and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal have witnessed those blood-soaked days. They should know that the state cannot afford yet another period of political drift and uncertainty. Democracy has been legitimately revived in the state at a considerable cost and every Sikh and the people in general have stakes in the continuance of peace in democratic Punjab.

To say this is not to draw an alarmist picture, but to simply caution the Akali leaders against the avoidable fallout of the politics of confrontation. Mr Parkash Singh Badal is a highly respected leader. He enjoys tremendous goodwill among the people. He may have reasons to feel hurt by certain developments within the party, forcing him to adopt tough postures. Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra is a past master in the art of politics. He is a shrewd tactician, though his move against Mr Badal seems ill-timed. He might have his own ambition and frustration. Still, there is no reason why the differences within the Shiromani Akali Dal cannot be sorted out across the table. Both Mr Tohra and Mr Badal cannot shy away from the responsibility they owe to the people. The play of egos, if overstretched, can prove devastatingly counterproductive.

Punjab direly needs peace and a heavy dose of development. The factional fight only distracts the attention of the leaders and the administrators from the vital task of rebuilding the state. It is necessary to arrest the drift in politics and the administration and make Punjab economically competitive, both nationally and globally. The gains of peace and democracy will vanish if the fighting within the SAD goes on. Mr Tohra has been at the helm of SGPC affairs for over 25 years. We expect him to continue to play a positive role and take a broad and liberal view of men, matters and issues. Mr Badal has the reputation of being a gentleman-politician. History has put him at the centre-stage of Punjab politics. The people's expectations are very high. He has to give them an efficient, clean and result-oriented administration. It is a pity that he has been bogged down in the war of attrition which threatens to tear panthic unity apart on the historic occasion of the Khalsa tercentenary. Truce is, therefore, the need of the hour. The Tohra faction and the Badal camp should desist from playing provocative games and quietly reflect on the implications of their moves and counter-moves. In this context, the apprehension of the Congress that the ongoing tussle between the two camps might revive militancy in Punjab is not very much off the mark. The point to ponder is: who gains if Punjab loses?

Disciplinary panel of Dal meets today
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Dec 16 — The disciplinary action committee of the Akali Dal (Badal) will meet at Chandigarh tomorrow to discuss the situation arising out of the press statement by the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, calling upon Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to resign as the Akali Dal chief in the wake of the electoral debacle in Adampur byelection.

This was announced here today by Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Senior Vice-President of the Akali Dal and chairman of the disciplinary action committee of the party. He said the meeting would be attended among others by Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Mr Balwinder Singh Bunder, both MPs and general secretaries of the Akali Dal, and Mr Tota Singh, Minister for Education.

Mr Talwandi described as "unfortunate" the current controversy raging around the anti-Badal remarks of Mr Tohra leading to the resignation of five ministers from Badal's Council of Ministers. It was particularly painful at this juncture when the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa were on and had attracted attention throughout the world. The Akali leader noted threat Mr Tohra had made similar critical statements in the past also which had impinged upon the image of the party and the government. But a critical statement at this juncture could be fatal not only for the party and the government but the entire Sikh community. He also asked party workers not to make unnecessary press statements.

Tohra 'creating' rift in SAD:AISSF
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 16 — The All-India Sikh Students Federation headed by Dr Manjit Singh has urged the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh, to call the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, to Akal Takht and ask him to explain the "conspiracy" hatched by him to dislodge the SAD government headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Mr Amarjit Singh Pathankot, Secretary-General of the federation, releasing the statement in this connection said today to serve his vested interest.

Mr Tohra had created various controversies in the recent days with regard to Anandpur Sahib Foundation and the Government. He alleged that Mr Tohra had created a rift in the SAD.

He said that Mr Tohra had caused a lot of damage to the Panth in the past years. The federation has urged the SAD leadership to oust Mr Tohra from the SAD.